Family Violence

The recent tragic deaths of four sisters in the District of Columbia raise once again the question of why the United States, despite local outrage and national and state efforts, has not reduced child deaths from abuse and neglect. In 2005, some 1,460 children died from one or the other nationwide, virtually unchanged from 2001.

This paper presents trends over time in the number of children in particularly vulnerable families, including families facing risks such as domestic violence, child maltreatment, substance abuse, depression, and childhood disabilities. These families are of particular importance to policymakers given the considerable risk to children's safety and development, the challenges to parents' ability to support a family as well as raise children when they are facing these major stressors, and the potential requirement for strong public or community roles to meet children's needs when parents cannot.

In this commentary, senior research associate Laudan Aron explores the dark side of a booming business -- matching American men with foreign women -- and what should be done to protect "mail-order brides."

This report summarizes major findings from our work on family violence for the United Way of Central New Mexico (UWCNM). "Family violence" includes violence between intimate partners (spouses, cohabiting couples, dating couples) and between adult family members and children. We identified the current availability of and significant gaps in services and supports for victims of family violence in the UWCNM service area. We were also alert to the opportunities to develop a coordinated community response to family violence that helps current victims and works to reduce and ultimately eliminate violence among family members. Based on these findings, and drawing on our knowledge of programs and approaches that work in other communities, the report presents suggestions and opportunities on which UWCNM and its community partners could act to achieve their goals.

The Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention asked the Urban Institute to undertake a comprehensive review of the state's Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB), a part of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The goal of our work was to identify program accomplishments and areas for further development, and recommend specific steps that should be taken to improve program policies, operations, and services to clients. This work was conducted in coordination with the National Center for Victims of Crime's review of direct victim services across the state.

The purpose of this evaluation was to assess whether STOP's financial support for direct victim services offered through private nonprofit agencies helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault improve their safety and well-being, and work successfully with legal system and other relevant agencies. Results show that women benefit from services of private nonprofit victim service agencies and the benefit of these services is enhanced when victim service agencies work in collaboration with the legal system and other relevant agencies in their community. When community agencies worked together to address domestic violence and sexual assault, women found them to be more helpful and effective and were more satisfied with the treatment they received from the legal system and their case outcomes. Legal system outcomes of arrests and convictions also happened more frequently when community agencies worked together.

Child Welfare agencies' reliance on TANF dollars -- and the often conflicting demands the two systems place on clients -- calls for greater coordination. Congress should encourage collaboration between welfare and child welfare agencies, maintain the flexibility of TANF dollars for use in child welfare, and IV-E to TANF eligibility.

For the fiscal years 1995 through 2000, more than $440 million was spent funding nearly 9,000 subgrants reported on Subgrant Award and Performance Reports (SAPRs). These subgrants funded 3,444 separate projects. Although the median award was modest, at just over $30,000, many projects received multiple grants and multiyear funding. Sixty percent received funding for more than one year, and a third for more than two years. This sustained support has helped promote stability and continuity in all kinds of local efforts to build community responses to violence against women.